DHL supply chain (Operations Research: Applied Business Optimisation and Modelling)

Case Assignment

You and your team have joined Yee Hwai and his solutions team at DHL Supply Chain to prepare a proposal for an optimized supply chain for CEC’s TV distribution.

1.    Based on the scope of the assignment and given the information in the briefing (the case) you understand that the client will expect a robust optimisation model that will consider all relevant decision factors and constraints.

2.    While the quantitative analysis (i.e. the model and a feasible solution) is a core deliverable, any relevant qualitative issues should also be identified and considered for final decision-making.

3.    The client also points out that the presentation of results and recommendations should be prepared in a way that will help senior management make swift decisions, i.e. the presentation should be clear, well structured, to the point, and use appropriate presentation media, graphs and illustration.

4.    The project has to be finished within four weeks. Therefore, the client would like to see a transparent methodology and a project plan including relevant activities and milestones after week one.

Yee Hwai believes that the following activities will be critical for a successful project completion:

Week 1 (lecture week 9): Confirm project definition and plan, confirm data and identify and gaps and additional sources, develop initial model.

Week 2 (lecture week 10): Develop the optimization model, including seting up all variables, constraints and optimization functions. Run the model.

Week 3 (lecture week 11): Interpret results, perform scenario analysis on various variables, and consider relevant factors outside the optimization model.

Week 4 (lecture week 12): Agree on modeling outcomes. Prepare for the presentation, develop Powerpoint slides, develop clear and unambiguous recommendations, including considerations for their implementation.

Week 5 (lecture week 13): Present results and obtain feedback from the management team.

Due also by Friday, 28 October is your Individual Assignment:  Write report reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of individual process steps and provide recommendations for improvement (individual task).